Apparatus for cleaning carpets, upholstery and the like



May 24, 1955 E. S. SCOTT APPARATUS FOR CLEANING CARPETS, UPHOLSTERY AND THE LIKE Filed 001;. 24. 1952 [11.n- III ll= rllllllll JNVENTOR. .Ea r& S 5002?;

BY 69mm ATTORNEYS.

United Stats Patent 2,708,764 APPARATUS FOR CLEANING CARPETS, UPHQLSTERY AND THE LIKE Earl S. Scott, Melrose Park, Pa., assignor to Renuzit Home Products (10., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application October 24, 1952, Serial No. 316,612 4 Claims. ((31. 223) This invention relates to cleaning apparatus, of the type used to brush or scrub carpets, upholstery or similar fabrics, which employ a dry cleaning fluid such as a petroleum distillate in their use. Known applicators use a bonding agent such as glue to combine several cleaning or scrubbing elements, or provide an overall clamping device to hold them together. In the use of many cleaning fiuids, and in particular dry cleaning solvents, ordinary bonding agents have been found to be unsatisfactory since they tend to become soluble in the presence of the cleaning fluid. The use of clamping means instead of a bonding agent has proven unsatisfactory due to the hard sharp corners formed at the bound edges of the bound cleaning elements. Such devices are particularly unadaptable where the corners may tend to injure exposed woods, metals or fabrics. A further diificulty has been experienced in the use of dry cleaning fluids in that the cleaning elements, upon absorption of the cleaning fluid, tend to lose their stiffness and hence become unworkable.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide an apparatus, for cleaning carpets, upholstery and similar fabrics, using degenerative cleaning fluids, which does not require the use of soluble glues to hold the cleaning elements together.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a cleaning apparatus, the corners of which cannot do injury to ex posed materials during cleaning operations.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a single piece clamping means to hold several combined cleaning elements together in a cleaning device.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a cleaning apparatus, for use with dry cleaning fluids, in which the cleaning elements will retain their stiffness in the presence of the cleaning fluid.

Many other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and the attached drawings.

Fig. 1 of the drawings is a perspective view of a cleaning apparatus constructed according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view along lines IllI in Fig. 1 showing in longitudinal section the cooperative relation between the clamping means and the combined cleaning elements.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along lines lllill of Fig. 1 showing in transverse section the cooperative relation between the clamping means and the combined cleaning elements.

One specific embodiment of the invention, disclosed in the drawings, is an apparatus for cleaning carpets, upholstery and like materials, which comprises several strips of. felt 3, bound together to form a substantially solid block, and a novel clamping means in which the strips are secured. The strips of felt have been impregnated with a plastic sizing agent to retard the absorption of fluids by the felt which tends to destroy its stilfness. The sizing agent may include cellulose acetates, polyvinyls, methacrylates, melamines, polystyrenes and phenol-formaldehydes. The clamping means consists in a flat plate I, having its four sides 2 extended and bent at acute angles to the plate 1 to pinch and hold the block of felt strips 3 along the plane formed by their combined edges. The pinching action of the sides 2 tends to force the remote Fatented May 24, 1955 ends of the felt 3 to spread slightly, forming a relatively stiff, absorbent cleaning surface. A handle 7 is attached to the plate 1 by means of the socket 6 fixed to plate 5 which is secured to the plate 1 by screws 4.

The primary object of the invention is achieved by means of the novel construction of the clamp plate 1 and its extended sides 2, which expose the felt 3 at the corners as shown in the drawings. The felt, having been impregnated with a suitable plastic, will retain its stiffness. Thus the felt cleaning elements 3 may be saturated with any desirable cleaning fluid, such as a petroleum distillate without danger to the cleaning apparatus. The exposed corners of felt prevent any damage to exposed material while the device is being usedv in operation the felt strips 3 are saturated with a suitable cleaning fluid and the cleaning apparatus is operated by means of the handle 7. A satisfactory means is thus provided to combine cleaning elements for use with cleaning fluids such as petroleum distillates in which the corners, which tend to come into contact with exposed materials during the cleaning operation, are rendered harmless.

it is to be understood that the embodiment of this invention shown and described herein is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various alterations in size and shape may be made Without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An apparatus for cleaning carpets, upholstery and the like with a dry cleaning fluid comprising a plurality of strips of felt impregnated with a plastic sizing agent and single-piece clamping means adapted to expose the said felt at its corners, while binding the said felt on four sides.

2. An apparatus for cleaning carpets, upholstery and the like comprising a plurality of strips of felt impregnated with one of the plastics consisting of cellulose acetates, polyvinyls, methacrylates, melamines, polystyrenes, and and phenol-formaldehydcs, and single-piece metallic clamping means adapted to expose the said felt at its corners, while binding the said felt on four sides.

3. An apparatus for cleaning carpets, upholstery and the like comprising a flat metallic plate having four angular extensions bent at acute angles to said plate to hold a plurality of strips of felt, which have been impregnated with one of the plastics consisting of cellulose acetates, polyvinyls, methacrylates, melamines, polystyrenes, and phenol-formaldehydes, the said flat metallic plate being constructed so as to expose the said felt at its corners.

4. Apparatus for cleaning the surfaces of carpets, upholstery and the like comprising a substantially fiat plate having opposed sides and ends, a handle connected to said plate, rigid side and end clamping pieces all formed integrally with said flat plate and extending from one face of said plate at an acute angle to the plane of said plate, and a plurality of substantially parallel strips of rigid fibrous material tightly clamped between said side and end clamping pieces, said strips forming a block which extends from said fiat plate beyond said clamping pieces, said block having a substantially flat working surface spaced from said flat plate, corner portions of said flat plate being cut away adjacent to the fibrous material which is disposed between the clamping plate, whereby corner portions of the fibrous material in the plane of said plate, and in the planes of said clamping pieces, are exposed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,283,175 Heller Oct. 29, 1918 2,267,316 Thompson et al. Dec. 23, 1941 2,517,213 Kautenberg Aug. 1, 1950 2,534,113 Egger Dec. 12, 1950 2,594,729 Carvalho Apr. 29, 1952 

